Recipes

November 23, 2014

This is more of a composition than a true recipe, a shopping list as opposed to a list of ingredients. However that said, I think you will appreciate the delicious ease of this cheesy treat for a crowd.

Yield: about 10-12 people

Ingredients:

14oz Round of Brie

¼ - ½ Cup of Apricot Preserves (room temperature)

1 Package Puff Pastry, defrosted (recommended brand: Dufour)

1 Egg

1 Tbs. Water

1 Tbs. Flour (to be used for dusting surfaces)

Equipment:

One Cookie Sheet

Parchment Paper (cut to fit the size of the cookie sheet)

Small Bowl

Fork or Small Whisk

Pastry Brush

How-To:

Pre-heat oven to 350°. Cut the parchment paper to size and place onto the cookie sheet. If the brie has been in therefrigerator, take it out and let it warm up a bit while the oven is pre-heating.

Take the puff pastry out of the refrigerator. Lightly dust the work surface with flour and unwrap the puff pastry.

Place the round of brie right in the middle.

Spoon the apricot preserves onto the top of the brie.

Wrap the brie with the puff pastry. Bring the corners together and form a twist at the top. Bring the edges in to the sides of the brie round and press the sides in to seal.

Place brie-pastry package onto the cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Beat the egg with the water in a bowl to make the egg wash. Lightly brush the egg wash all over the brie-pastry package. This will give it a nice bown burnish and will help to seal it up as it bakes.

Bake for about 30 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and let it sit for about 5-10 minutes. Place on a decorative plate and serve it warm. Crackers and bread optional. This is very rich - it will pair nicely with a crisp white wine, prosecco or champagne. Enjoy!

9) Add salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste and - you guessed it - toss to combine.

10) Allow everything to just mingle together for about an hour before serving.

Please note:

a) All ingredients should be room temperature when this salad is put together.

b) The roasted grape tomatoes may be made the night before & refrigerated until ready to use (tomatoes made this way are also a delicious, slightly sweet and low calorie add-on to sandwiches, omelets, as a simple side dish to chicken or fish - the possibilities are endless).

* A word about Cheese Curds:

Cheese curds are basically what cheddar cheese looks like before they are pressed together and aged. They are a delight as they are, with a mild, milky taste and springy, squeeky mozzarella-like texture if you eat them fresh. Sadly they are not easy to find and if you live outside of Wisconsin or Québec you probably never have had the pleasure of this taste experience. HOWEVER, if you live in or near New York City you are in luck! Try finding them at Saxelby Cheesemongers or Beecher's.

October 27, 2011

A cheese pumpkin has absolutely nothing at all to do with fromage. It’s a pumpkin through and through, named a cheese pumpkin because of its beige exterior and slightly flat shape. A close relative of butternut squash, it also has a creamy texture and sweet taste, which makes it the perfect specimen to use for cooking and baking. The ubiquitous jack-o-lantern is just too stringy to use for cakes and pies and no where near as tasty.

However being Marie Fromage, I thought to myself, why not make a real CHEESE pumpkin! And I got right to work. Be the hit of the Halloween party and bring one of these little babies to the table.

Ingredients:

1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, room temperature

2 cups (8 oz.) shredded cheddar cheese

2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

¼ tsp. cayenne pepper

Pinch of salt

Pinch of smoked paprika

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Flat leaf parsley

Twisted pretzel sticks

Equipment:

Stand mixer: with bowl and paddle attachment

Rubber spatula

Plastic wrap

Medium-sized mixing bowl

Plastic spoon

A pair of spectacularly clean hands

1) Shred the cheddar cheese while cold. Set aside and allow the cheese to come to room temperature.

2) Combine cream cheese, shredded cheddar cheese, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, cayenne pepper and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to make sure everything is combined. Beat the cheese mixture until smooth.

3) Spread out a few sheets of plastic wrap. Mound the cheese mixture onto the plastic wrap and shape into a ball. Cover with the plastic wrap and chill for about 2 hours.

4) When the cheese ball is firm, remove from the fridge and remove the plastic wrap. Using your spectacularly clean hands, shape the ball until it is as round as possible, then flatten the top slightly.

5) Now the sculpting begins! Using the handle of a plastic spoon, carve the “ribs” of the pumpkin into the cheese ball. Smooth the edges with the spoon.

6) Place the chopped pecans in a bowl and place the cheese pumpkin on top. Press the pecans up along the sides of the cheese pumpkin, about half way.

7) Place cheese pumpkin on a plate. Sprinkle the top of the cheese pumpkin with a pinch of smoked paprika. Add a twisted pretzel stick into the top to resemble the stem. Add flat leaf parsley to resemble the vines and leaves.

August 14, 2011

The midsummer season is bursting with amazing fresh blueberries! Blueberry muffins, blueberry pancakes, blueberry crumbles – all of these are terrifically delicious but no friend to those who try to walk on the light side. Sure, blueberries can always be added to yogurt or thrown into a smoothie, but sometimes the craving calls for CARBS.

Below is a recipe for low fat blueberry scones that I found on Weight Watchers.com* that answers the blueberry + carb siren song with little diet damage. I tinkered with the ingredients without altering the calorie count and kicked-up the flavor by swapping-out honey for maple syrup and adding a bit of fresh lemon zest. I also added a few tips for creating a more tender scone.

These freeze well and are fabulous toasted. Add a side of fruit and a glass of milk (or a small piece of cheese. CHEESE!) and it is a very satisfying, scrumptious, low-guilt breakfast.

And what did Marie Fromage prepare for her on-camera demo? Something cheesy, of course!

I presented a recipe for “Easy Breezy Cheesy Cocktail Quesadillas”. Check it out (click here if you can't view the video below)and see the recipe details below. Wish me luck. Let there be cheese!

Recipe: Easy Breezy Cheesy Cocktail Quesadillas

Yield: 4 wedges per quesadilla

This recipe is great for company because it’s quick on prep time and goes great with wine. There aren’t a lot of ingredients* to this dish, but each ingredient is a flavor powerhouse on it’s own and a little goes a long way. Put it all together and it’s a tasty flavor explosion!

February 28, 2010

When the
temperature is hovering at around 15°outside and snow is piled all around, no one in their right
mind would venture outside if they didn’t have to. Grand plans to run errands get shafted in favor of staying
wrapped-up in the Snuggie and watching back-to-back episodes of “Law &
Order”.

It’s also
the perfect time to make some chicken stock.

Liquid
love. Jewish Penicillin. The
culinary mother ship, the source all savory delights. Any stock, but chicken
stock in particular, is the culinary building block for great cuisine found in
the best restaurants around the world.

Make this
and you can once and for all do without the canned or boxed high-sodium stuff
from the supermarket.

What
makes a good stock? No special
tricks or skills really, just a pile of bones. You need bones to make a proper
stock. A great way to have a bunch
of bones on hand is to save the carcass (gross word, but that’s what it is) of
the picked-over roast chicken you got at the supermarket and freeze it. If you
make your own roast chicken, save the bones from that too along with the
neck. When you get a large storage
bag or two filled-up up with bones you’ll have enough to make a good stock.

Ingredients:

Chicken
bones – bones left over from about 3-4 roast chickens should do it.Cold
water1 yellow
onion, peeled and cut in half1 large
carrot, peeled and roughly chopped1 celery
stalk, cleaned and roughly chopped1-2
cloves of garlic, peeled and crushedA few
sprigs of fresh thymeA bay
leafA bunch
of parsley stemsLeek
greens (if you have any handy; optional)A pinch
of whole black peppercornsNO SALT
(it’s best to keep the stock neutral and add the salt to-taste within the
context of a recipe)

The
How-To:Place the
bones into a large pot and cover with cold water.Bring to
a boil and skim off the foam that comes to the surface.Reduce to
a simmer and add onion, carrot, celery, garlic, thyme, bay leaf, parsley stems,
leek greens and black peppercorns. Let it simmer for about 2 hours, frequently
skimming off the foam and fat that floats to the top.

Place a
clean pot into a sink filled with ice water. Pour the stock through a strainer lined with cheesecloth
into the pot. Discard the solids. Stir the stock rapidly until it cools
down. Once cool, remove it from
the sink and place in the fridge and let it cool completely overnight. A layer of fat will form on the surface
– just remove and discard it and voilà, you’ve got stock!

So
I’ve made a huge pot of chicken stock.
Now what?Portion
out the stock into 1 cup containers and freeze to use as-needed. Also, pour some into ice cube trays and
freeze. Once frozen, empty the cubes into storage bags and stash in the
freezer. Then grab and go!

Stock
suggestions:

* Use as
a base for countless soups. In
this photo I’ve added a pinch of salt & fresh cracked pepper to taste, a
squeeze of lemon and a heaping mound of freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Mmmmmm….

January 18, 2010

For
starters, it’s pronounced “crack”, an Irish term that means crazy fun times
with friends. Well this here is some good times in a bowl meant to be shared,
and it’s pretty addictive too, hence the name.

Trust me,
you want this for your Super Bowl party. It’s easy to whip up, more or
less. You can do it the gourmet
way (yes you can) or the quick way (if you must) – see my recipe below. Enjoy some good craic!

Add
kernels and oil to a 3 qt. pot and stir to coat the kernels with oil. Place a tight-fitting lid on the pot
and heat over a medium flame.
Shake, shake, shake the pot vigorously until kernels start to pop and keep
shaking until it sounds like most of it has popped. This will take about 5 minutes, more or less.

Add to
bowl of pretzels and combine.

** 4)
Roasted Nuts

Quick Way: buy a can of
roasted, unsalted nutsGourmet
Way: Roast your
own.Heat oven
to 350°F. Place raw
nuts on baking sheet in one layer and roast for 10minutesor until browned and
fragrant.

Add to
bowl of pretzels and popcorn and combine.

*** 5)Caramel

Quick Way: unwrap a 14
oz. package of caramels. Place
caramels into a microwaveable bowl and heat on high for 3 minutes or until
caramels are melted, stirring after each minute.Gourmet
Way: make your
own (adapted from “Barefoot Contessa”)1/2 cup
sugar1/4 cup
light corn syrup1/4 cup
water1 cup
heavy cream5 Tbs
unsalted butter1 tsp sea
saltAdd the
cream, butter, and sea salt to a small pot and bring to a simmer. Once butter
has melted stir to combine, remove from heat and place a lid over the pot to
keep it warm. Set aside.In a deep
pot combine the sugar, corn syrup, and water. Bring mixture to a boil over medium flame and continue to
cook until the sugar turns to a golden color. Swirl the mixture, don’t stir,
and stay close as it can go from gorgeous golden to burned brown quickly.

Once the
sugar mixture turns golden, slowly add the cream mixture (note that it will
bubble-up vigorously). Add the vanilla and combine.

Add a
candy thermometer to the pot and cook the caramel until it reaches just a bit
beyond 248°F (the “firm ball” stage).Once the
caramel has cooked to the firm ball stage, slowly and carefully pour it over
the pretzel-popcorn-nut mixture in a large bowl (add the bacon bits now if
using). Carefully toss like a salad to combine.

Spread
everything onto the prepared baking sheet and press into one layer.

****
6)Semi-Sweet
Chocolate & White Chocolate

Start
with the semi-sweet chocolate.
Break the chocolate into pieces and melt the chocolate in a
microwave-safe bowl. Heat in 30 second intervals, stirring between each
interval until chocolate is completely melted. Then, using a fork, drizzle the chocolate all over the
pretzel-popcorn-caramel mixture.

Repeat
same process with the white chocolate.

Place
baking sheet with mixture into fridge and let cool for about 30 minutes. Once cooled, break into pieces and
serve!

August 02, 2009

I had my first piadina while taking a pasta making class at La Vecchia
Scuola Bolognese in Bologna, Italy.The chef made these for our midmorning snack and served them warm and
layered with prosciutto and cheese.My head nearly blew off by how tasty they were.

This is a great bread recipe for the summer because there’s no need to
turn on the oven!If you can make
pancakes, you can make these.

8.Add the dough round
and cook until lightly browned for about 2-3 minutes per side.

9.Place on large plate
and proceed to cook the other rounds, stacking them as you go.

So now you have all of these Piadina in your house.What now? Use your imagination – the
possibilities are endless!Here’s
a couple of serving suggestions:

* Quick pizza:
spread with pesto or tomato sauce, sprinkle with cheese and put it under
the broiler until the cheese is melted.

* For breakfast:
toast it lightly and top with eggs, cheese, bacon, tomatoes, etc.Also good for breakfast – spread
it with peanut butter and drizzle with honey or top with a banana.

* Spread with
hummus and top with olives and tomatoes.

* Cut it into
quarters and toast until crisp in a 350° oven. Serve with your dip of choice.

* Layer it with
ham and cheese or whatever you fancy for a quick sandwich.

Storage suggestions:

Layer
each Piadina with paper towels or wax paper, then wrap with plastic wrap; they
should be good for a couple of days.They also freeze well – allow to cool completely, layer as described
above, wrap in plastic and then with foil.Use as needed.

July 06, 2009

Halloumi is a firm Greek
sheep’s milk cheese that holds up well to grilling, making it a delicious
alternative to the usual hot dog & burger backyard BBQ fare.Cut it into cubes, thread it on a
bamboo skewer with your favorite veggies, brush with a little olive oil and lay
it on the fire for cheesy kabobs. And here’s another serving suggestion that’s
sure to please meat eaters and veggies alike!

and give birth to the
Asian Bloody Mary, “the dangerous brain child of three food people drinking
sake.” Get the back story and Gastro Chic recipe
here!

Food, Inc.

Food, Inc. is a new film currently terrifying
eaters in major cities around the country.

It’s a “Scared Straight”
for the supermarket shopper, a horrifying indictment of the American
industrialized food system featuring Eric Schlosser (Fast Food Nation), Michael Pollan (The Omnivore's Dilemma) and several other notable beacons of food sanity.You won’t look at a piece of chicken
breast the same again.Or
vegetables for that matter.And
you may want to rethink your late night Hot Pockets habit while you’re at it.
It’s an important film to see if you care about where your food comes
from.But don’t plan on going out
to dinner afterwards! For movie locations and more information, go to www. foodincmovie.com.

And since we’re on the
subject, I also recommend that you pay a visit to the web site “Food Politics”,
written by learned food lady Marion Nestle.She’s lately become my go-to gal for getting my food facts
straight and has more interesting things to say about this film, among other things,
such as the safety of our food system.Raw Toll House cookie dough anyone?

Music:The Dred Scott Trio

Several years ago an edgy,
swinging jazz pianist named Dred Scott decamped from San Francisco and landed
in New York City, much to the delight of metro-area music fans. Dred Scott,
drummer Tony Mason and bassist Ben Rubin can be found pretty much every Tuesday
night at midnight at the cozyRockwood Music Hallon the Lower East Side, throwing
down their fun, itchy, careening, cosmopolitan and sublime musical brew.

It’s worth risking a
little late-night music hangover at the day job to see this group play
live.They will soon be
celebrating the 4 year anniversary of their residency at Rockwood and are
on their way to becoming a Big Apple music institution.But if by midnight you’re in bed and
you can’t make it down to Rockwood in person, pick up their CD “Live at The
Rockwood Music Hall” for an irreverentvirtual concert in the comfort of your jammies.

For more info go to
their web site, dredscott.com.Purchase “Live at The Rockwood Music Hall” on iTunes, Amazon.com and
other fine retailers.

August 22, 2008

Yes, it's everywhere (at
least where I live). Yes, you can probably find it right now in the
"gourmet" cheese section of your supermarket. But just because
it's everywhere doesn't mean it's not special and delish! This is a
French triple-cream cow's milk cheese made in the Brie tradition; only it's
creamier and more butter-like. In the style of easy summer entertaining, here's
a serving scenario: you've just laid out the surf & turf, the cold beer and
crisp white wine are flowing. You're stuffed, but you also want to serve just a
little something for dessert. Present a wedge of room temperature Saint-André
with some fresh figs, pear slices and some super-thin ginger crisps - the
perfect coda to a satisfying feast.

Play It in the Key of
Building

They don't get much cooler
than David Byrne. With his latest project the musician, visual artist and
bicycle enthusiast presents us with the opportunity to actually
"play" an abandoned waiting hall located within The Battery Maritime
Building, via an old church organ that's been rigged up to the walls, pipes and
ceiling girders. Hit a few keys and the walls groan, pipes clank and girders
sing, creating a delightfully eerie atmosphere within the crumbling space. But
things this neat don't last forever - this is the last weekend so don't miss
it!CREATIVE TIME PRESENTS Playing the Building: An Installation by David Byrne

The tomatoes are here!The tomatoes are here!This is that special time of year when
these ruby orbs of deliciousness are at their peak and in abundance.Buy local – head over to the nearest farm stand and load up on
the heirloomand Jersey varieties.And because they are at the peak of perfection there’s very little that
you need to do to enjoy full on tomato glory.Here’s a suggestion that’s barely a recipe and more of a
collection of high quality ingredients that create the perfect simple meal:

Ingredients:

-Crusty baguette, cut in
half

and then cut lengthwise

-A few ripe tomatoes,
sliced thin

-1-2 cloves of garlic,
peeled and sliced in half

-Extra virgin olive oil
(use the best quality you can find)

-Sea salt (use Maldon if
you can find it)

1)Pre-heat grill (or use a ridged grill pan if
indoors).

2)Place the bread cut side down onto the hot grill and
toast until browned, about 2 minutes at the most.

3)Rub half of a garlic clove over the toasted side of
the bread while still warm.